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Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Bier

Percentile
98
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
5533.87/5.03.86/5.07.5%99.3English pint, Stem glass
Commercial Description:
Our Reserve Special Black Bier is a full bodied ale. Each batch is brewed with heavy roasted and chocolate malts to give this beer its unique flavors of coffee and chocolate. The color of this beer is black, and when pured into a glass it will have a deep brown head of foam.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 eaglefan538 (2358), Wilmington, Delaware, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/59/104/516/20
Jun 14, 2008  
Brown-black colored pour, nice chocolate covered head, decent lacing. The aroma was all cocoa chocolate, some licorice, light roast. Flavor impressively followed, bitter light roast touch really kept this think clean and drinkable. Chocolate-milk choco-cocoa elements w/ licorice worked great, some faint bubblegum under it all, but in a nice and very faint way. Mouthfeel was full for the style, quite nice and clean.


 MatSciGuy (630), Rosemount, Minnesota, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/516/20
Jun 13, 2008  
Pours a deep brown with a medium tannish head. Aroma is primarily roasted barley and bittersweet chocolate. Flavor follows suit, with a bit of astringency. Medium mouthfeel, and a little bitterness finishes this great beer.


 msante79 (814), Orland Hills, Illinois, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Jun 8, 2008    Updated: Jul 11, 2008
12 oz. This is more of a stout than a porter. Pours dark brown with a dark tan head. Aroma is roasted malt, coffee, some some and chocolate. Flavor is roasted malt, chocolate and coffee and hint of smoke. A fine beer it is but this is not a porter. This is an much a stout as Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfest is. The last thing I wanted on a hot humid Chicago summer day is this. Will keep the rest till the fall and enjoy them during Bears games. Re-rate: 7/10 and 7/11/08. Regardless of what this brewer calls this beer it is just plain delicious. This beer is a better coffee stout than Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfeast and a more complex beer. Flavor is full of roasted malt and coffee. Will buy again.


 jspruit (111), Dublin, Ireland
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Jun 1, 2008  
I picked this 12oz bottle up back in Michigan-enjoyed back in Ireland. Pours pitch black, and a bit thick-very enticing. There is a small 1/2 finger cream colored head that fades to lacing around the glass. The smell hits you right away and it’s roasty, chocolatey, and coffees. It is really great and between the appearance and smell it really gets you ready to taste it. Very smooth, plenty of chocolate and coffee tones in the taste as it goes down. There is a bit of earthiness and smokiness as some other reviewers have indicated, but it’s mostly all chocolate and coffee. There’s enough carbonation to let you notice it, but it doesnt dominate and feels good in your mouth. It isnt as full as you might expect if you judge it straight from its pour, but its great to the last drop. I’ll definitely recommend this to others and try to get my hands on another the next time that I see it. It reminds me of a couple of Foudners beers and that’s always nice for me.


 Snojerk321 (1939), San Diego, California, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
May 28, 2008  
12oz bottle from Acknud. Pours opaque with a milk chocolate head. Nose of toffee and chocolate. Finish was very chocolaty and and creamy.


 bgburdman9 (823), Columbus, Ohio, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/104/516/20
May 27, 2008  
I love these dark horse stouts and porters. They all pour pitch black from the bottle with a small tan head. Aroma was roasty, lightly burnt, chocolate. Flavor was very smooth and chocolatey. Had a decent body on it too and no alcohol was noticeable. I wish ohio and michigan could switch beer.


 mcbackus (740), Merritt Island, Florida, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
May 25, 2008  
bottle: pours a very black with a good creamy espresso foam coloured head. aroma is a great roasty adn some fantastic dark chocolate. the flavours mirror the aroma jsut seem more poerful on the palate. the roast and dark chocolates are near perfect. the finish is excellent with more of the chocolate.


kieleszd (83), Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/105/56/104/516/20
May 23, 2008  
Smells of sweet barley. Pours a thick chocolate head. Strong bitter palate. Very rewarding. This is a special porter. Dark Horse knows how to find unique notes roasted in intense flavors. Bravo.



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